Brotherhood
by prxnceling
Summary: Young Loki and Thor are cleaning the royal stables as punishment when things go terribly wrong...Thor has always taken care of Loki. Now, Loki must return the favor.
1. Chapter 1

Loki huffed, wrestling with the heavy feed sack and trying to lift it high enough to get the opening into the barrel. Thor was sweeping the floor, keeping his head stubbornly down. The horse stood between them, chewing on a bit of hay and ignoring them.

"I can't believe you told him it didn't count as punishment!" Loki said sourly, ducking his head to his shoulder and wiping the sweat from his brow. He could smell his own sweat, and his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"I didn't mean to! It just slipped out," Thor mumbled. He looked as displeased to be sweeping as Loki was to be enduring physical labor. They often received the punishment of cleaning the stables for their mischiefs, but Thor had made the mistake of mentioning to Odin that it had become an almost enjoyable task—after all, it never took too long when Thor did the heavy lifting and Loki did the sweeping and tidying. Odin had ordered that they switch jobs. Now it was the hellish punishment it was meant to be.

"Would he even know if we switched back?" Thor mused aloud. Loki grunted and finally got the sack high enough and seed began trickling into the barrel.

"He would," Loki said. Sometimes his brother's thought process—or lack of one—astounded him. How could Thor be nine already, and Loki still be smarter than him? He was only seven! "You would be smiling because you can't control yourself. I wouldn't be all sweaty and disgusting like I am now. Besides, Heimdall's a snitch."

Thor nodded reluctantly and went back to sweeping, leaving lines of clean stone amidst the dust. Loki watched him for a moment. He leaned forward on the barrel, letting his shoulder and hip press against the rough wood, sighing as it relieved some of the weight of the feed sack from his aching back.

By the time Loki realized how far in he was leaning, it was too late. He scrambled in an attempt to grab the edge of the barrel that was already halfway to the floor; he missed utterly. The barrel landed with a tremendous thud, seed spilling out over most of the stall.

The horse bucked, its hooves swinging wildly. Loki froze as he saw Thor's eyes go wide and the broom fall from his hand.

A hoof struck Thor's temple.

He went down hard, and there was a low crash as his body hit the floor.

Loki lunged for his brother, and there was a sickening thunk as a hoof collided harshly with his back. Loki grabbed at the horse's neck the moment that its hooves hit the ground, sending a wave of magic through his hand.

 _Calm. Calm. Calm._ He murmured the spell under his breath and focused, closing his eyes for the briefest moment. The magic became calming and cool. Loki let out a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding when the animal settled, standing drowsily and moving away from them to the other end of the stall. He could feel himself trembling.

His back _really_ hurt. But Loki was quickly distracted by the sight of the rivulets of blood that had started to trickle down the side of Thor's head from the wound on his forehead. It was soaking into his golden hair, and growing sticky. The spot had already swelled into a lump of a quite alarming size.

Thor was much, much too still, and his eyes were shut. The sight of his unmoving form and the blood made Loki's throat constrict dangerously.

 _When something is bleeding, you put pressure on it as soon as you can, and the bleeding will stop._

The thought flooded his mind, a snippet from a conversation with his family's personal healer, Otnoa. She'd said it to him a few days ago, as she bandaged his scraped knee. Loki pressed his sleeve to Thor's forehead and found it was rapidly soaked with blood.

Loki pressed harder, now with both hands, but it didn't seem to be helping. A whimper tore itself from his lips. He was shaking still, and he could feel his breathing getting faster and faster. That wasn't a good sign.

"M-Mother!" Loki cried, as loud as he could, but there was no one around to hear him.

"...Heimdall," he begged aloud. He could almost see Heimdall's eye moving to him, to the scene. "Heimdall, please—get Mother." He did his best not to choke on the sob that was growing in his throat, clenching his teeth and trying his best to keep the pressure consistent.

The horse was growing antsy again at the sound of his yelling. He needed to stay calm. He took a deep, shuddering breath and focused on his hands. _You can do it. You can do this, Loki, just breathe. All you have to do is keep your hands there until Mother comes. You can do it._

 _A/N: Please review! This story updates weekly on Sundays._


	2. Chapter 2

Each minute felt like an hour. Loki focused on the sound of his own breathing and struggled to keep his hands steady. The bleeding had slowed, but not before Loki's hands and sleeves were coated red. _In, out. In, out. You can do this._

Frigga was at the front of the group that rushed in, and the others followed behind her—the stable-master, and Otnoa and her apprentice, a tall, broad-shouldered woman with ruddy cheeks that Loki often saw when he ventured to the healing halls.

The stable-master immediately came into the stall and led the horse out, giving wide berth to the two princes. Loki watched the animal warily, as if it would strike again at any moment.

"Thor!" Frigga gasped, falling to her knees by her eldest's side. Loki followed her gaze from the pool of Thor's blood to his own pale hands, small but steady, holding Thor's temple.

Otnoa joined them. Otnoa was the royal family's personal healer, and she had been the one who advised Loki to apply pressure to a bleeding wound.

"You may lift your hands now, my prince," Otnoa said gently to Loki. He looked up at her, feeling tears beginning to burn in his eyes. He shook his head. _In, out,_ he kept hearing in his mind, _Keep your hands there, Loki. You're doing fine, just keep your hands right there._

"It's all right, my little one," Frigga said. Loki looked up at her. "Let go, now, sweetheart. Otnoa will help Thor, now. You've done your part."

 _You've done your part._

"I'm s-sorry," Loki choked, feeling the tears rush down his face. The gravity of the situation overwhelmed him once more, and his hands lifted of their own accord. He sat in absolute silence, unable to tear his gaze away from his bloody hands. They shone in the low light.

By the time he looked up, Otnoa's apprentice had already lifted Thor, and with Otnoa cradling Thor's head in her hand, the healers were leaving the stables. Loki stumbled to his feet to follow, but a pair of gentle hands on his shoulders held him back. Loki's gaze snapped to Frigga's face above him.

"I want to go with them," Loki whispered. His voice was hoarse. "He needs me."

"No, Loki," Frigga said. Something about how she said it made his heart drop to his stomach. "It's all right now. Let's go and get you cleaned up."

She picked him up, and Loki leaned with his head on her shoulder, keeping his hands well out of the way. He opened his mouth to apologize again, but Frigga shushed him before he could, and he fell silent as she stood and left. The rhythm as she walked was steady, a rocking that was almost therapeutic, and Loki felt himself entering a strange daze as they walked. He didn't know how much time had passed when he came back to his senses.

"Send someone to clean the blood off the floor of the stables." Loki stiffened and looked up at the door-guard Frigga was speaking to. The guard was looking at Loki's hands, kept carefully away from Frigga, drenched in his brother's blood. "And send for Odin—have him go to the healing halls to watch over Thor."

There was something in the guard's expression that was almost accusing. Loki looked away. Frigga glared at the guard until he rushed to do her bidding, visibly fighting to tear his eyes from Loki's hands.

"I want to see him." Loki finally said after a few minutes, his head back on Frigga's shoulder.

"Once we've got you cleaned up and your clothes are changed."

Loki shook his head. He wanted to see Thor _now._ He had to make sure he was okay, and he had to apologize, over and over until maybe Thor would accept it.

"Be reasonable, Loki," Frigga said. Her tone was stern, though not mean. "Thor is in Otnoa's care. He'll be fine for a few minutes while we get you washed up."

She was so rarely stern with him that even the panic growing tight and hot in his chest could not draw Loki to argue. He bit on his tongue; he tasted blood. The tears had only just stopped, but now they began pouring anew, but Loki stayed utterly silent, turning his face so she could not see his tears. He didn't hide against her shoulder again.

Frigga left Loki in his rooms with instructions to wash his hands and take off his tunic while she went to find him a new one. Loki stood at the washbasin, looking at his own reflection in the mirror for a long moment. His face, exhausted and haggard, stared back at him. His hair curled over and was stuck to his neck in some places with sweat, and his the blood on his hands was now dry and flaking. He looked away from the mirror, unable to bear looking any longer, and pulled his tunic over his head, wincing as the pain in his back returned. When the tunic was off, he splashed some water on his face and neck, and then took a dark washcloth and scrubbed at his hands.

The water was lukewarm, and he wished it was hot. The blood wasn't coming off very easily—he had to scrub until it stung.

 _Get off, get off, get off!_

His skin was raw. He couldn't tell anymore if Thor's blood was still on him, or if his hands were just red from the scrubbing, or if he was bleeding, now. His hands hurt. His heart hurt.

 _I'm sorry._

The door opened. Loki hardly processed it. He kept scrubbing his hands with vigor. The water around his hands had turned pink.

"Loki!" Frigga's voice snapped him out of his daze and he looked over his shoulder to see her frozen in the doorway, staring at his back with wide eyes.

He turned to look at his back in the mirror. Between his right shoulder blade and his spine, there was a bruise deeper than any he had seen before, huge and dark purple. As he looked at it, Loki felt the ache amplify.

"You did not tell me you were hurt," Frigga chided, coming forward and frowning as she looked at his hands and plucked them from the water. She dried them with a fluffy towel.

"'S not so bad," Loki said, unable to meet her gaze.

"It looks like it hurts," she said. He nodded reluctantly. She picked up the tunic and a blanket that she had brought for him, and she wrapped the blanket around his shoulders.

"Let's go to Otnoa, and she will give you some ointment to make it feel better and you can see Thor. Then we'll get you dressed."

Loki stood, his hand wriggling out from the blanket and searching for hers. He managed a small smile when she held his hand.

"Okay."

 _A/N: Here is chapter 2! You may notice that some of Loki's internal thoughts are quite dark; I tend to think that Loki's self-destructive tendencies started when he was young and are a part of his personality, rather than starting in_ Thor. _My little Loki also has GAD and occasional panic attacks-all of which will be expanded upon in later stories._

 _Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

Once Loki was tended and dressed, he clambered up onto Thor's bed, careful not to jostle him.

"Thor?" he murmured. He reached to brush a limp strand of hair from Thor's face. It was damp; Otnoa had washed the blood out and changed Thor's clothes. There was a bandage around his head.

Loki felt better, seeing him, but not entirely. He was so still. Loki reached hesitantly and took Thor's hand in his own. It was rough on the palms and warm. Thor usually didn't like Loki holding his hand now that they were bigger because men didn't hold hands, but Loki hoped he wouldn't mind, given the circumstances.

After a few moments, Loki looked away from his brother to the others in the room. Otnoa was watching her patient from a distance, standing over by one of the shelves. Frigga had come to sit beside Odin, who was straight-backed in an uncomfortable-looking wooden chair. As Loki met his father's one-eyed gaze, he swiftly looked away. He could feel himself beginning to tremble again.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. _Don't cry._ The voice in his head was not as encouraging now as it had been in the stables. _Thor wouldn't cry. Don't be stupid._

He managed to hold the tears back, swallowing hard.

"What happened, Loki?" Frigga asked. Her voice was kind, but tired.

"We were cleaning," Loki said slowly, struggling to keep his voice steady. _You sound pathetic_. He spoke louder. "And I…got distracted. I knocked over the barrel by accident, and it scared the horse. Thor was closer because he was sweeping."

"The horse bucked," Otnoa said, understanding lacing her tone. Loki nodded mutely. He shuddered as he remembered Thor falling, sudden and sharp like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"I never would've expected it from one of _our_ horses," Frigga murmured, more to herself than anyone else. She looked to Odin, and Loki followed her gaze. Odin was still staring at him intently, like he was something strange that needed to be figured out, and Loki met his faze for a few moments longer this time and then continued his story.

"And I went over to him. It hit my back. It didn't hurt that much when it happened, not really. And I reached up and grabbed the horse's neck and sent some magic to try and calm it down. It left us alone after that. And I remembered Otnoa had said to put pressure when something's bleeding. So I put my hands over Thor's head and I just held them there. And I called for Heimdall to get you, Mother." He looked to her.

"I'm sorry." _Don't cry._ "I swear I didn't mean to. I swear it."

There was a moment of silence, Loki's face twisting as he thought he must've said something wrong.

"You did very well, Loki." It was Odin's voice. Loki's gaze shot to him.

Something inside him warmed with pride; Odin was never one to declare himself proud of either son very often at all, and Loki less often than Thor. But the pride was soon overcome by confusion.

"But I—"

"Accidents happen, little one," Frigga said. She reached across Thor's prone body to grasp Loki's free hand in her own and squeeze. "And we can only do what we can to remedy such situations as best we can. You did well to stay calm enough to use your magic." She was smiling a smile so bright and proud that the guild _almost_ stopped gnawing at Loki's stomach. Almost.

"And I am glad you remembered what I told you, my prince," Otnoa added. "Wounds to the head often bleed a lot, so I am sure it was very frightening for you. But you remembered what I told you and by the time I got there, the bleeding had already stopped. If you had not remembered what to do and kept a steady hand, the wound could've been worse."

Loki shoved the guilt somewhere deep to fester until he could deal with it later. He forced a small smile. After a moment, he spoke hesitantly, to distract himself and them.

"I remembered what you said, Mother, last time when I was frightened. You said, ' _You can do this, Loki, just breathe. In, out, in out…'_. I tried to say that to myself in my head and it was very helpful."

Frigga chuckled, and she came forward to the bed to wrap her arms around him. She held his head to her breast, kissing the top of it. Loki let her hold him there, closing his eyes and deflating against her chest. She held him tighter.

"We love you, little one. You did very well today."

 _A/N: Please answer my survey about what fic I should write next here (remove underscores):_ _https_:_/_/_www_._surveymonkey_._com_/_r_/_NDFCBP5_


	4. Chapter 4

Loki refused to leave Thor's side. Odin had long since returned to his duties, and that had left Frigga and Otnoa to stay with Loki in the healing room. Frigga had brought Loki his schoolwork to finish, and a book to read once that was done. Loki was so absorbed in the old tome that he did not hear Frigga calling him until she put a hand on his cheek. His gaze jolted to her.

"It's time for bed, Loki," she said. Loki frowned.

"Can I sleep here? You need someone to watch over him in case he wakes, anyhow," he said. Frigga looked to Otnoa as if for her permission, and Otnoa shrugged.

"All right. I will bring you a change of clothes for bed," Frigga said. "And if he does wake, you send for me and Otnoa immediately. Do you understand?"

Loki nodded. Frigga brought him the clothes from his room and he changed into them, feeling rather drowsy despite the early hour from the exhausting day. He thought about reading some more but his eyelids were drooping and he did not think he would be able to focus on it, so he lay down, curling up on his side and wrapping one arm carefully over Thor, laying there until he fell asleep.

* * *

Loki slept soundly for a couple of hours, but he woke when he felt Thor stirring beneath his arm. Thor groaned, and Loki sat up, wincing as his back protested at the movement.

"Thor?" Thor's eyes fluttered open.

"Wha—Loki?" Thor drawled, squinting up at him. One hand drifted towards his head clumsily, and Loki grabbed his brother's wrist.

"Don't touch," he said. "You'll hurt your head more."

"My head…?"

"Yes." Loki spoke slowly. Thor's eyes were glassy, and it looked like he was having trouble focusing. "We were cleaning the stables, remember? The horse was spooked and it bucked and kicked your head."

"How long has it been?" Thor murmured. His eyes were closed, but he had not gone back to sleep so soon.

"Half a day. I will go get Otnoa—she wanted to check on you when you woke up." He released Thor's wrist and padded over to the door. He asked the guard outside to send for Otnoa and to tell Frigga that Thor was awake, for that was what they had instructed him to do, despite the late hour.

"Do you want some water?" Loki asked when he returned to Thor's side. Thor began to nod but then winced and spoke instead.

"Yes," he said. Loki gave him a look.

"Yes, _please,_ " Thor tried again, and Loki smiled. He took a glass and the jug from the bedside table and very carefully poured Thor a cup.

"Here." He held it out. Thor's hands were steady, which Loki thought was a good sign. He climbed back into the bed and snuggled into Thor's side again, deciding that his injured head would not prevent him from having a hug.

Thor smiled. He had never been very physically affectionate, but he never rejected Loki when he wished for closeness.

"You have to stay awake until Otnoa and Mother come," Loki said. "Okay?"

"Okay," Thor said. He wrapped one arm awkwardly around Loki, and Loki breathed a sigh of relief as by chance he avoided touching the bruise on his back.

"I love you, brother," Loki said, smiling shyly up at Thor, ever in awe of him. Thor chuckled, reaching to brush a strand of silky black hair away from Loki's eyes.

"I love you too, Loki."

* * *

 _A/N: Sorry for the year long delay before the posting of this final chapter! Please leave a review if you enjoyed this story._


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